Plants & Algae

[Juannie]

I added plants to one of my tanks (along with fake one's) about 2 months ago. I'm now having a problem with algae and the tank is starting to look a little murky (like the sand is being mixed up - which it's not), does anyone know why this happens, what I can do to recitify it and do i even need real plants in the tank?
:help:

[Chrona]

What color is the murkiness and what color is the algae? Can you describe it? Or better yet a picture. What kind of lighting do you have on the tank? What size tank? Does it get direct sunlight?

[Drumachine09]

Maybe a bacterial burn?

[Juannie]

The algae is very light brown but only on the plants. The murkiness is like the sand has been disturbed and it's cloudy. There is a window behind the tank but the blinds aren't open during the day and i do have a light which i only put on at night. This has only happened since i added one particular plant (but i don't know the name of it) its green with a red underside.

[Lady Hobbs]

Brown algae

Forms in soft brown clumpy patches. In the freshwater aquarium, these are usually diatoms. Usually indicates a lack of light or an excess of silicates. Increased light levels will usually make it disappear. Easily removed by wiping the glass or siphon vacuuming the affected area.

[Chrona]

The algae is very light brown but only on the plants. The murkiness is like the sand has been disturbed and it's cloudy. There is a window behind the tank but the blinds aren't open during the day and i do have a light which i only put on at night. This has only happened since i added one particular plant (but i don't know the name of it) its green with a red underside.

Probably Ludwigia repens. As Hobbs said, it's diatoms. Have you added any rocks/sand/etc to the tank recently? It was not caused by the plants, I can say that much.

[Juannie]

Aha, i did actually add some more sand recently & they haven't had as much light as usual. What is the best thing to do to clear it up? Will water changes do that? DOH! Ignore me, i just re-read, I'll give them more light & just wipe away the rest.
THANK YOU!

[Juannie]

Well I have done water changes, they've had their filter cleaned and lots more light but it's still cloudy - does anyone have any other ideas what this could be? There's been no algae on the glass only the plants and the murkiness is like a cloudy white colour.

[Chrona]

Well I have done water changes, they've had their filter cleaned and lots more light but it's still cloudy - does anyone have any other ideas what this could be? There's been no algae on the glass only the plants and the murkiness is like a cloudy white colour.

White murkiness is a bacterial bloom. Check your ammonia levels. Or it could be debris leeching from sand, etc, but I don't think so.

[xoolooxunny]

the bacterial bloom is probably from capping the old substrate. How did you add the new sand?

[Juannie]

It was actually sand I had in the tank previously and took out to. It had been sitting for some months, the only thing i did was rinse it - looks like i screwed up big time, any advice on what to do to recitfy it?:14:

[Juannie]

:19: THANKS FOR YOUR HELP... I actually let some sunlight in the window of the tank and the cloudiness has cleared up, I've done a water change and actually removed the oxygen weed as it was covered in algae, I've put it in cold water in the sun for a few days and it's looking better too.